Websites tend not to be a top priority anymore, which is a shame, because no social media profile can really do what a website does. A website is supposed to be the most reliable, coherent information source for your band. But that’s rarely the case. Band websites are more like social media link collections than information sources. Unzyme strives to do this differently. We aim for a Wikipedia-like experience, where you can find all the information you could possibly need, and then some. There are many band websites which I adore, and which will be used as examples for the next website redesign.
You should make it as easy as possible to work with you. Collaborators appreciate it if they don’t have to dig for information. Whatever your co-conspirator might want to do with you, should be very easy to do. All press material, concert dates, lyrics, releases, biography, news, blog posts, articles, contact information, collaboration opportunities, album cover art, stories, technical rider, etc. should be presented in a coherent form. There is no better medium for presenting this information than your website.
Metallica
Metallica has done a damn good job with their website. They offer loads of information, which is very well organized and served in a clean layout. What I like about Metallica’s website is that it’s packed with interesting content, has clean and stylish typography choices with lots of white space and cool images. It’s very informative but still manages to look cool.
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys have a really comprehensive archive of information on their website. It’s probably the most comprehensive band website that I know. Just look at the history section, and you’ll know what I’m talking about. I’m genuinely envious of and inspired by the wonderful website of the Pet Shop Boys. They really offer loads of content to the fans. PSB have chosen to use their website as their base of web operations, rather than their social media accounts (which are also well taken care of).
Kent
Kent has already retired, but they have a marvellous website. Perhaps the most important thing on their website is the lyrics section, which is available on all pages. Kent has a spectacular back catalogue, and they’ve really made it easy for the fans to sing along their songs. Most of the lyric pages also include guitar chords for the songs. I would like to see songs organized by album, but the long, alphabetically ordered list serves pretty well. All bands should have all their songs documented like this!
The Prodigy
The Prodigy offers quite a bit of content – all releases, videos, news, tour dates and merch. I would like to see lyrics on the website, and the web store could be an integral part of the website (instead of being included from a separate address), but other than that, if’s a fine example of an artist website.
Moby
Moby’s website is all about telling stories. I like that. It’s not a very informational website, but more like a place to think. News are on the frontpage, and journal entries are on a separate page. Moby writes about everything he’s interested in, not only music. I believe that Moby’s fans really appreciate that, and that’s also a way to reach people who aren’t interested in his music. Moby also tells about his architectural findings in his Moby Los Angeles Architecture blog.
Riverside
Riverside has written lots of backstories about their songs. All albums, lyrics and gigs are presented very neatly. Not the most stunning of designs, but the contents are exceptionally well written.
Nice sites if you have a fast connection. With exception of the Pet Shop boys website, these site are all obese and will suck your mobile subscription..
Yes, that’s one of the key points to consider when designing a website. Concentrate on providing information rather than creating a stunning design. Simple is good. Optimizing for faster load times is also one of the key objectives of my next redesign of this site.